If you’re a working photographer, you’ve probably wrestled with the same question I did: which client gallery platform should I actually be using?

For years, the conversation has been dominated by big-name SaaS platforms like Pixieset, Pic-Time, and ShootProof. They’re polished. They have all the features. And they all share one thing in common — a recurring monthly bill that quietly eats into your bottom line every single month.

So when I built PhotoEZ, I wanted to do something different. I wanted a real alternative — not a “lite” version of someone else’s product, but a complete client gallery, proofing, and delivery system that lives entirely on your own WordPress website with zero monthly fees.

In this post, I’m going to give you a fair, honest comparison of PhotoEZ vs Pixieset, including where Pixieset wins, where PhotoEZ wins, and how to figure out which one is right for you.
—
What is Pixieset?
Pixieset is a Canadian-based SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) platform that’s been around since 2013. It’s one of the most popular client gallery platforms among professional photographers, especially in the wedding and portrait spaces. Pixieset offers client galleries, online proofing, photo selling, blogging tools, and a website builder — all hosted on Pixieset’s servers and accessed through your own custom subdomain.

Pixieset uses a tiered subscription model. There’s a free plan with very tight limits (3 GB of storage and Pixieset branding), and paid plans range from around $8 to $40 per month depending on how much storage you need and which features you want unlocked. Their store feature also takes a 15% commission on every photo sale.
It’s a great product. But it’s a rented product.
—
What is PhotoEZ?
PhotoEZ is a WordPress plugin that brings the entire client gallery and delivery workflow to your own website. Instead of paying a monthly fee to host your photos on someone else’s platform, you install PhotoEZ on your existing WordPress site and run everything yourself.

PhotoEZ includes watermarked client proof galleries, client photo selection with visual feedback, automatic upsell for extra photo selections via WooCommerce, secure final image delivery via ZIP download, cloud import from Dropbox, Google Drive, and Amazon S3, and a built-in dashboard that tracks every gallery from booking through delivery.

There’s also a free version (PhotoEZ Lite) available on WordPress.org for photographers who want to try it before committing, plus optional addons for online booking and contract signing.

The key difference: PhotoEZ is a one-time purchase. You own it. You host it. You keep 100% of your sales.
—
The Big Difference between PhotoEZ VS Pixie-Set is Subscription vs Ownership
This is the single biggest difference between these two platforms, so let’s address it head-on.

Pixieset is a subscription. You pay every month. If you stop paying, you lose access to your galleries, your client links break, and your storage goes away. Your data lives on Pixieset’s servers, and you’re paying for the privilege of having it there.

PhotoEZ is software you own. You buy it once and install it on your WordPress site. Your galleries live on your own hosting. Your client data is in your own database. If you stop developing your business tomorrow, your existing clients can still access their galleries because they’re hosted on your domain.

For a photographer doing 30 sessions a year, the math gets interesting fast. A Pixieset Pro plan at around $20 per month adds up to $240 per year. Over five years, that’s $1,200. PhotoEZ Pro is a one-time purchase that’s a fraction of that, and once you own it, you own it forever.
—
Feature Comparison
Let’s go feature by feature.

Client Galleries
Both platforms offer beautiful, mobile-responsive client galleries with password protection (or in PhotoEZ’s case, secure token-based links — clients don’t need to remember a password). Pixieset has more pre-built theme options, while PhotoEZ inherits the design of your existing WordPress site, which means it integrates seamlessly with your brand.
Both allow watermarking on proof images. Both support client photo selection. Both let you collect favorites and feedback.

Photo Sales / Upsells
This is where it gets interesting. Pixieset has a built-in store feature that lets clients buy prints and digital downloads — but Pixieset takes a 15% commission on every sale on top of your monthly subscription.

PhotoEZ uses WooCommerce, which means you keep 100% of your revenue (minus your standard payment processor fees, like Stripe’s roughly 2.9%). For a photographer selling $5,000 in extras per year, that’s a $750 annual difference going straight into your pocket instead of Pixieset’s.
Final Delivery

Pixieset includes high-resolution download delivery on most paid plans. PhotoEZ does this too, with secure token-based ZIP downloads, configurable expiration windows, and download count limits to prevent link-sharing.
PhotoEZ also has built-in expiration reminder emails so clients don’t miss their download window — a nice touch that Pixieset doesn’t include by default.

Booking
Pixieset has a separate Booking product on a separate subscription. PhotoEZ has the optional Booking Addon that integrates directly with PhotoEZ — when a client books a session and pays the deposit, PhotoEZ automatically creates a linked gallery for that booking. No extra setup. No extra subscription.

Contracts
Pixieset doesn’t currently include contract signing. PhotoEZ has the optional Contracts Addon that automatically redirects clients to a signing page after they book and pay. The signed contract is stored, emailed to both parties, and accessible to the client at any time via a permanent link.

Storage
Pixieset gives you a fixed amount of storage based on your plan, capped at 1 TB on their highest tier. Run out, and you have to upgrade or delete galleries.

PhotoEZ uses your own web hosting. Your storage limit is whatever your hosting plan provides. Most photography businesses use shared hosting plans starting at around $10-15/month that already include 50-100 GB of storage — and that hosting works for your entire website, not just galleries.

Mobile App
Pixieset has a mobile app for clients to view galleries on the go. PhotoEZ doesn’t have a native app, but every PhotoEZ gallery is fully responsive and works perfectly on mobile browsers.
—
What Pixieset Does Better
I want to be honest here. Pixieset isn’t a bad product. There are areas where it has a clear edge:
Setup speed. Sign up for Pixieset and you can have a gallery live in 10 minutes. PhotoEZ requires you to have a WordPress site already (which most photographers do anyway, but it’s an extra step if you don’t).

Out-of-the-box themes. Pixieset has more pre-built gallery themes if you want a very specific look without customization.

Mobile app. If having a dedicated client mobile app is important to you, Pixieset has one. PhotoEZ relies on responsive web galleries.
Brand recognition. Pixieset is a known name in the photography world. Some clients may be familiar with the experience.
If those things matter most to you, Pixieset might be the right call. There’s no shame in choosing convenience.
—
What PhotoEZ Does Better
Cost over time. This is the big one. After your first year, you’ve already saved more than the cost of PhotoEZ. After five years, you’ve saved enough to buy a new lens.

Zero commission on sales. Every dollar your clients spend with you stays with you (minus standard payment fees). For photographers who do significant sales of extras, prints, or albums, this alone can save thousands per year.

Full ownership of your client data. Your galleries, client emails, selection data, and order history all live in your own WordPress database. You can back it up, export it, and migrate it however you want.

No vendor lock-in. If you ever stop paying for PhotoEZ updates, the version you own keeps working. Compare that to a SaaS platform where canceling means everything goes away.

Brand integration. PhotoEZ lives on your own domain — yourstudio.com/galleries/the-jones-family — instead of yourstudio.pixieset.com. It looks and feels like part of your business, not a third-party tool.
Booking and contracts in one ecosystem. With PhotoEZ Booking and Contracts addons, your entire workflow lives in one place — no juggling multiple subscriptions to multiple platforms.
—
Who Should Choose Pixieset?
You should consider Pixieset if:
You don’t have a WordPress website and don’t want to set one up
You want a hands-off experience where someone else handles hosting, security, and updates
You only need a small number of galleries and the free plan is enough for you
You value the convenience of a mobile app
—
Who Should Choose PhotoEZ?
You should consider PhotoEZ if:
You already have a WordPress website (or are willing to set one up)
You want full ownership of your client gallery system
You want to keep 100% of your photo sales
You want a true one-time cost instead of an ongoing subscription
You want booking and contracts integrated into the same system
You’re tired of paying monthly fees that grow as your business grows
—
How to Get Started With PhotoEZ
The easiest way is to start with PhotoEZ Lite, which is free on ejstech.net. You can install it on your WordPress site and try out the watermarked proofing and client selection features without spending a dollar. If you like the experience and want the full feature set, you can upgrade to PhotoEZ Pro at any time.

You can also explore the optional Booking Addon for online client booking with deposits, and the Contracts Addon for automatic contract signing — both designed to work seamlessly with PhotoEZ.
For more information, visit ejstech.net and download PhotoEZ Lite to get started.
—
The Bottom Line
Pixieset is a solid SaaS platform if you’re willing to keep paying for it forever. PhotoEZ is the right choice if you’d rather own your tools, keep your money, and run your photography business on a website you control.

Either way, the most important thing is that you have a professional way to deliver galleries to your clients. The right answer depends on what you value: convenience and brand recognition, or ownership and long-term savings. There’s no single right answer — only the one that fits your business best.

If you want to give PhotoEZ a try without spending anything, download PhotoEZ Lite for free here and see if it’s the right fit for your studio.